Editor鈥檚 note: This story contains details that may be disturbing to some readers.
鈥淲e were dragged right onto the plane鈥� you could hear your mom and your grandmothers鈥� and your little brothers and sisters crying when they see you going on that little float plane.鈥�
Those were among the jarring recollections that Navalik Tologanak shared about her residential school experience during the National Gathering on Unmarked Burials: 黑料吃瓜网 Voices conference held Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at the Aqsarniit Hotel in Iqaluit.
It was the sixth in a series of national conferences over two years by the Office of the Special Interlocutor for 鈥渁n important gathering where individual and community experiences will be shared about the sacred work of searching for the disappeared children,鈥� said Kimberly Murray, independent special interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites. 鈥淭hroughout the gathering, we will listen to survivors, and be guided by Indigenous knowledge and ceremonies.鈥�
After opening comments, the first panel comprised three Elders who recounted their painful experiences at residential schools: Tologanak from Cambridge Bay, Alexia Kublu from Iglulik and Elsie Cardinal of the Fort Chipewyan Metis in Alberta.
In addition to the Elders and co-chairs Sylvia Cloutier and Naomi Tatty, an empty chair was present to invite the spirits of the missing children to join, as well as various sacred items from various communities. Small packages of tissues were given to attendees at the beginning of the conference.
鈥淚 am able to tell my story because I鈥檓 one of these people who can talk,鈥� said Tologanak. 鈥淭here are so many people out there鈥� they start telling their story and it stops. So many stories do not come out鈥� for some鈥� the pain is too deep.
鈥淔irst of all, I went to residential school from [Inuvik] to [Cambridge Bay]. We were sent on those DC-3 planes, and at that time, there wasn鈥檛 really a community [in] Cambridge Bay. Most of us that age were born out on the land, and lived out on the land, but those little little float planes still found us. They landed at our parents and our grandparents鈥� camps. And they still found us and took us,鈥� she recalled, her voice tinged with emotion. 鈥淏ut we had to go.
鈥淲e stayed 10 months out there. Long weekend in September we were picked up, or grabbed. And then we鈥檇 be home end of June. And that was the favourite day of the whole year 鈥� of our whole lives鈥� the day we fly home to our parents, our siblings, our hometown. And to this day 鈥� I鈥檓 almost 70 years old 鈥� and I still celebrate end of June [despite] how old I am. So let鈥檚 celebrate our children who don鈥檛 go to residential school anymore鈥o one will ever take my grandchildren again, ever, like they did me. Never.
鈥淚t was hard, we had to live [with] abuse, and be scared all the time growing up鈥� We couldn鈥檛 even eat country food, of course鈥� We weren鈥檛 tasting seal meat and caribou.鈥�
Remembering the dead
鈥淲hen I was three years old, I was sent to Edmonton to the Charles Camsell Hospital to the TB sanitarium鈥� I don鈥檛 remember much, but there were lots of Inuit,鈥� said Tologanak.
She then tells of how her great-grandfather鈥檚 body was never returned to Cambridge Bay from an Alberta sanatorium, where he died. The same thing also happened to her great-grandmother, who died in Alberta and was buried in an unmarked grave.
鈥淲here鈥檚 my great-grandmother?鈥� asks Tologanak. 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen her picture. Where鈥檚 my great-grandfather?鈥here are they? I want to find them, and I want to put a memorial on their graves, but I can鈥檛 because I don鈥檛 know where they are. So let us work together to find all our family, and put names on the graves, or send them home. I don鈥檛 know. But let鈥檚 work together to do this and make this work. And also for all the children who never made it home. Let鈥檚 bring them home, and if we can鈥檛 bring them home, let鈥檚 go to them, and have ceremonies and show our children or family members. Let鈥檚 make it work, because it鈥檚 awful when you can鈥檛 find your grandparents鈥� graves.鈥�
Tologanak then called on government leaders and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to work together 鈥渢o get this resolved to be part of our healing and get on with our lives. And teach our children, the younger generation, that鈥檚 going through so much right now, and to heal them鈥� and to teach the world and the rest of Canada what we鈥檝e been through. We are strong. We are here. We are survivors.
鈥淲e girls had it easier because the pedophiles in that school went after the boys more,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that untold anger that鈥� gets swallowed [and expressed] in anger and drink. Those of us who can talk about it need to be their voice.鈥�
More gatherings for Inuit proposed
The theme of buried trauma and the continued need for its expression was at the forefront of discussion throughout the three-day conference, the first in the North, which had a quarter of the country鈥檚 residential schools, but currently only receives four per cent of government funding to address the trauma.
Murray, a Mohawk, emphasized that she鈥檚 getting towards the end of her two-year mandate and funding for these conferences.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important to hear from survivors, and thank you for raising the issue of not having enough survivors at this gathering, and I will work with leadership to make sure there are further gatherings for Inuit鈥� as we begin these conversations for the ongoing search for children and unmarked burials鈥� [Elders] have shown the courage and leadership it takes in sharing the truth about the burials.
鈥淭he truths of the atrocities that Canada has committed against the Inuit, First Nations and Metis people鈥� We have to thank the survivors for their words this morning. There鈥檚 so much that we have to learn from you, and we need to continue to listen to your truths as you share at the gatherings, with the world, and with the country. So nakurmiik, thank you.鈥�
